Intelligence agencies not allowed to eavesdrop, govt tells IHC

KARACHI: Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday that the government did not allow any intelligence agency to tap audio conversations.

According to Dawn.com, he made the comments while hearing a petition filed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi for action against a leaked conversation in which she and Imran Khan’s lawyer and PTI leader Latif Khosa was included.

On December 6, the former first lady approached the IHC claiming that the recording violated her right to dignity and privacy under Article 14 of the Constitution. The petition filed at the IHC by Mr Khosa named the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and the Defense and Home Secretaries as respondents.

At the last hearing, IHC Justice Babar Sattar had sought reports on the audio leak from the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other concerned authorities.

He also directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to submit a report and reply on “how the leaked private conversations can be allowed to air on TV channels

At the beginning of the hearing, AGP Awan presented the report prepared by the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that PMO is clear that ISI, FIA and IB are not allowed to record any conversation.

Mr Awan said the FIA ​​was bound to determine who had recorded the call. “The FIA ​​is contacting the telecom companies under the court’s instructions,” he said, highlighting that the agency would need access to the relevant Internet Protocol addresses for the purpose.